Adding creatine to muscle cells in a lab makes them live longer when they’re in a super-salty environment, just like other known protective substances such as betaine and taurine.

Even if creatine helps muscle cells survive under salty stress, it doesn’t do so by keeping their energy levels up—because the energy (ATP) still drops even when creatine is added.

When muscle cells in a lab are put in a salty environment, they start making more of a special protein that helps them suck up creatine — and they get better at pulling it in, not because they’re pickier about it, but because they can handle more of it at once.

When cells are put under high salt stress, they start making more of a protein that helps bring in creatine — and this happens not just in muscle cells but also in blood vessel cells from pigs.

Taking creatine supplements may help your muscles store more glycogen, which is like a sugar reservoir, and since glycogen holds onto water, your muscles end up holding more water too.

Taking creatine helps your muscle cells soak up more water, making them swell a bit—and this swelling tells your body to stop breaking down muscle as much.